Shadow-Land - Heather Parsons (bill gates book recommendations TXT) 📗

and this caused her to really look at him. His eyes were wide and he was just as panicked as she was. He started the engine and hit the gas, only to have to slow down to turn towards the road that lead the way out.

The drive was short but still no matter how far she was away from the house, the memories and nightmares still haunted her. Grabbing her legs and hugged them to her chest, placing her head on them while crying. There is only one person she felt could comfort her and he wasn't anywhere around. Travis is the only one that truly helped Sierra when Charles and Joyce died. She has clung to him ever since. He's been a security blanket for her, protecting and never asking her what happened or what she had seen. Closing her eyes she rocked back and forth on the front seat. Not wanting to see anything but the image of his face.

"Sierra I called Travis while you were asleep. He's on the first flight out so he'll be here soon." Phillip reached over and rubbed her back. Sierra didn't have to look at him to see the sadness on his face, she could hear it in his voice. Figuring Travis probably told him what happened between them. This made her cry harder.

She didn't look up when Phillip made the turn in the driveway she knew so well. As children Travis and her would come here and play. Then after her parents were murdered, she lived here for awhile. It seems like so long ago that, that happened.

Listening while the gate opened and only then did she decide to look up. The house that they lived in was similar to her parents house with the only difference was that their house was more homely. And lived in. The house was beyond beautiful from the outside with the vines growing on one side of the wall and the flowers that bloomed there were spectacular. It gave the house a mysterious look to it and she had always loved that about it. Finding refuge here when she found some days hard to deal with. But finding no relief when it came to the nights.

Sierra was lost in thought about the old days that she had not realized that Phillip was out of the car and Kathryn was walking up to her side. The door opened and she reached her hand in to help Sierra out. Once her feet touched the ground, Kathryn grabbed her and held on. Sierra loved her so dearly and never wanted Kathryn to see her like this, again. She was broken beyond repair and even more terrified than ever.

"Travis called he is landing in an hour and wants to know if we will pick him up. Sierra would you like to go with me to get him?" Kathryn asked still holding Sierra. She didn't know how to answer her without crying. Travis is the one Sierra would like to see right now but does she chance it? Does she trust her feelings for him? Will he still be angry with her? She didn't know any of the answers and as much as she did want to go, she didn't still the same.

"Kathryn I'd love to but I still have to sign the paperwork and get everything settled with that." Sierra lied to them feeling was most unbearable about doing so. Her voice was just a whisper because if Sierra spoke any louder they'd know the depth of her pain. She didn't want them to feel it too.

"It's okay if you don't. Maybe Phillip can go and you and I can talk." Sierra pushed away from Kathryn to see the look in her eyes. She knew more than Sierra had thought about what was going on between Travis and her. Kathryn's pain was so surreal Sierra just nodded then looked toward Phillip. The look he had was painful enough she couldn't look at him for very long. Starring at the ground as Kathryn kissed him goodbye and he left without a word. Sierra looked up while he drove toward the gates and wanted to run after him to stop him. But her legs wouldn't move. She reached out her hands at the same time collapsing on the ground.

"Sierra, it will all be okay. You'll see, everything will work itself out." Kathryn said with so much confidence that Sierra wished she had just a little bit because she doesn't believe things are that easy. How can things work themselves out? How can Sierra stay here knowing that, that creature is in her house just waiting for her?

The terror she felt before came rushing back, hearing her name being called from inside the house. Sierra was shaking again and this time is no different from last, Still she couldn't explain what it was she heard.

With Phillip being gone, Sierra didn't have anyone who knew the situation she was in. Does she tell Kathryn? She don't want her frightened as well. Are they safe here? Just thinking of this had Sierra back on her feet in a heart beat. "Kathryn we need to get inside, it's not safe out here." Sierra put her hand on Kathryn's and lead her back inside the house. With the door now closed behind them Sierra felt a little bit safer but not that much.

"Sierra tell me what's bothering you so much. Why do you look terrified?" Kathryn asked looking puzzled while they both sat down on the couch. Sierra took a couple of deep breaths so she wouldn't scream out to her what happened.

"There's something in my parents house, something that knew me by name." Sierra cried, terrified that it was the creature from before coming back this time to finish her off. "I can't go back. I can't go back. I can't go back." She said this over and over not only to state this as a fact but to convince herself as well. She has to and needs to finalize this but she can't go back. The imagines of that day flashed in her head making her sob louder and hold herself together tighter. Sierra felt Kathryn's arms wrap around her as Kathryn tried to calm her but Sierra was too far gone.

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PHILLIP felt horrible driving away and seeing Sierra reaching out. And then her collapsing to the ground had him stomping on the brakes, coming to a complete stop, right in front of the gates.

The panic he felt earlier has changed to terror now. Knowing that Kathryn and Sierra are alone and whatever frightened Sierra back at her house would surely still frighten her now. He couldn't leave them alone. If he lost either of them, his heart would break.

Phillip had to call Travis and tell him. He wouldn't be there to pick him up. Phillip couldn't afford to leave now, there's so much to lose. He pulled his cell phone out of the middle console and dialed Travis' phone. It rang once before he answered.

"Hey, dad please tell me your on your way?" Travis sounded anxious and a little on edge. Phillip hated to do this to him, to tell him this but what else could he do.

"Son, I can't come, something's happened earlier while Sierra and I were in her house. Something that has her terrified and I can't leave her and your mother alone." His voice was very shaky and he know he probably scared his son but he has to know.

"That's okay dad, I see the driver. I'll be there in an hour or less. Please dad do something for me, please take care of her until I am able to hold her in my arms again." Travis whispered this on the phone Phillip could hear the wind blowing and knew that he was running for the car.

"I will son, I will." He hung up and put his car in reverse, hitting the gas petal a little to hard. He couldn't wait to be in my wife's warm embrace again. Continuing in reverse until he reached the front of the house, only then did he turn the car around to be facing the right way. Cutting the engine and jumping out of the car, wanting to be inside as quick as he could to make sure they were both alright.

Phillip's heart was beating through his chest thinking the worst while he opened the front door and walked in. What he saw was far worse. They were both sitting on the couch and Sierra was in the same position she was in the car when he drove her here. Her knees against her chest, holding herself together and rocking back and forth. "Kathryn what happened?" He had to ask, trying to figure things out.

"Oh Phillip, she's terrified. She keeps saying something's in her parents house. You were there, was there something else in there?" Phillip could see that whatever Sierra had told her, had terrified her as well. With tears in her eyes and some already falling down her cheeks, he couldn't help but move to her side and comfort her.

"I was there with her but I didn't hear anything. She jumped so quick, nearly knocking us both off the couch. I was going to check but she pleaded with me not to leave her. I couldn't leave her, she's like a daughter to me." He wrapped his arms around the both of them and cried along with them. The next hour was the longest he thinks he has ever had, waiting on Travis to get here. Sierra wouldn't talk to either of them. She just kept quite and rocked herself to keep from falling apart.

Kathryn and Phillip both tried everything they could think of to make her listen to reason but she just wasn't hearing us. Phillip felt that they had gone back to the day when her parents died because this is how she was then too. They never thought she'd ever get through that but here we are again. And this time he at a complete loss on how to fix it.

Remembering Travis holding her a lot and that seemed to calm her down but when he left her side, she'd be right back where she is now. "Sierra, Travis is on his way. I just talked to him and he's only an hour away." Phillip thought this would bring out a different reaction in her but she didn't respond. His heart was breaking slowly watching her fall to pieces. She was still holding herself together but not very well. Her shaking was becoming violent now, shaking not only herself but them too.

The phone rang and it made Phillip jump. Quickly releasing his hold on them and retrieving it.

"Hello," Phillip answered a little irritated. He didn't like answering the phone this way but right now he's not in the mood